Give Me Love
by pipedreamdragon
Summary: AU. Hinata belongs to the Hyugas, a family of cupids that find love for the citizens of Konoha. In order to be recognized as a true cupid among her peers, she must go through a rite of passage to find 50 couples before Konoha's annual Festival of Love. When she is suddenly seen by her last target, her whole world spirals out of control. Shinohina. M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

~Give me Love~

Disclaimer: I don't any of these characters. Please don't put me in federal prison for this dumb fanfic.

~Chapter 1~

Sakura Haruno and her long time friend Ino were strolling down the streets of Konoha, arm in arm and giggling about things that girls typically giggle about. It was a sunny spring day and the two had just received their payment from their most recent missions, so Ino had _insisted _that Sakura should come with her to go dress shopping. The Konoha annual Festival of Love was coming up in a few weeks, and according to Ino, Sakura had absolutely nothing that was suitable for attracting a date. Sakura thought otherwise, but Ino was the expert on these things, so what choice did she have?

After dropping by a few stores and picking out a pair of shoes and a frilly little tango-red number that Ino had dug up on the clearance shelf, the two sat under the umbrella of an outdoor table while munching on sticks of Dango.

"Hey Pigsnout, just who are you planning on coercing into being your date for the festival, anyway?" Sakura asked slyly, while shoving an elbow into Ino's side.

"Well, my unfortunately large-fore headed friend, I was originally aiming for Shikamaru, but he seems like he would be too bothered by the whole thing, so I think I'm gonna try maybe Kiba or Sai..."

"Sai? From Team 8? What do you want his weird-ass for?"

"He's dark and mysterious, just like Sasuke used to be..."

"Ah, yeah...you do have a point there. Hopefully he won't be abducted by Sound ninja before you get the chance to ask him out!"

Ino poked Sakura in the ribs, which prompted a counter-attack from Sakura, which in turn caused Ino to shove a hand into Sakura's face, which caused Sakura to drop her last bite of Dango.

"NO! THE LAST BITE!" a disembodied voice called out.

Ino and Sakura both looked up, and as if in slow-motion, Ino's tubby team mate Chouji flew underneath their table and snatched up the Dango stick before touching the ground. Unfortunately, this knocked both Sakura and Ino out of their seats, and tipped the table and umbrella stand completely over.

"CHOUJI, YOU UNFATHOMABLE KNUCKLEHEAD!" Ino shrieked while giving Chouji a good sock in the head.

Chouji whimpered and scrambled to his feet, then offered Ino a hand up, followed by Sakura.

"Sorry ladies, you know my policy on wasted food..."

Ino sighed, dusting herself off. She then angrily snatched the dango stick from Chouji's pudgy mitt and shoved it into Sakura's directly.

"Well next time try to be a little more careful. I swear, you're like bull in a China shop sometimes."

Chouji snickered and patted his belly. "That's me!"

"Ugh, get out of here!" Ino grabbed the poor fellow and forcefully turned him away before shoving him with her foot. He hobbled away into the distance, looking over his shoulder with a disappointed face.

Sakura straightened herself out, then looked at Ino, who suddenly had a strange expression of admiration while watching Chouji vanish around a corner.

"On second thought, maybe I should ask_ him _out..." she said wistfully.

Sakura tilted her head.

"Huh? Who? ...Chouji?!"

Ino's eyes fluttered softly, as she held her hands to her heart. "Yeah, what a sweet, wonderful man he is..."

Sakura burst into laughter. Ino scowled at her.

"What's so funny?!"

Sakura tried to calm herself and wiped a tear away from her eye. "He just knocked both us and our table over for a bite of dumplings, caused a huge faux pas, and suddenly you wanna ask him out?"

Ino crossed her arms defensively. "Yeah, why not?! I can ask whoever I want out!"

Sakura smiled and laid a hand on Ino's shoulder. "I'm not judging you for wanting to ask him out, it's just funny cause it's so sudden. It's like you were hit with a Hyuga arrow or something!"

Ino huffed. "Hyugas aren't real and you know it, Sakura. I just like him, is all!"

"Surrreee..." Sakura teased.

As the girls continued to bicker back and forth, a mysterious silhouette disappeared behind a nearby corner, leaving behind a small plume of down feathers.

In a flustered flurry, the winged creature fluttered its way to the top of a nearby building, then landed with a crunch on the gravelly roof. At first glance, she may have been recognized as just a typical "Lolita" girl, with hair of glossy dark blue and a pale lavender dress kimono, with ruffles of white around the gloriously fluffy thigh-length skirt. Though her main ensemble was Japanese in nature, her ivory feet were wrapped in Roman-style gilded sandals. The only thing separating her from a normal human were a pair of soft, cloud-white wings that, although small to the point of physical impossibility, were fully functional and served as her main means of transportation. Tied at her hip was a petite gilded quiver, and gripped in her right hand was her trusty golden bow, adorned with various kanji characters of love and guidance.

As the winged girl gently sat down on folded knees to rest, she found herself being shadowed by an approaching figure.

"So, how did you do for your first shoot, Hinata-san?"

She looked up to the man before her, who was dressed in a similar style, but with greys and browns and no ruffles. He also had grey baggy pants that ended at his knees, but he wore the same style sandals, and had the same pair of smooth white wings.

"Neji-nisan! I...I think I did okay," she replied shyly, still clutching her little bow, "I found a really pretty girl for the lonely boy who was kind of...big..."

Neji crossed his arms and nodded.

"A good choice, but remember...you only have a month until the festival, and you still have to find love for at least forty-nine more couples. You don't really have time to pick and choose."

Hinata blushed and stared at the ground. Neji kneeled down and held her chin to look into her eyes.

"Remember, we cupids shoot indiscriminately. That's the way it's been for centuries, and it's the way the Hyuga family has been doing it for generations. Love strikes when least expected, so you can't spend all your time finding people you think would make good matches. Just use your Byakugan to find those who have yet to find love, then shoot them when they walk within eyesight of each other. It's that easy."

Hinata nodded silently. Neji helped her to her feet, then straightened her uniform out for her.

"There you go. You're doing good so far, so just stay focused. I need to get back to the sky castle, but if you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Okay, thank you Neji-nisan."

He smiled and patted her on the head, before lifting off and soaring into the distance. Hinata stared at her feet. She knew that when she turned eighteen, she would have to perform the rite of passage and find fifty couples in Konoha before the festival of love so that she could be proclaimed as a true cupid, but something about the whole thing really irked her. Why did love have to be inflicted upon humans at random? Why rush things, when you could find a pair of people that would really be happy together?

This was Hinata's very first shooting, so she knew that she could get away with slacking a bit. But, she was _really_ slacking. It had taken her the whole morning just to find Ino and Chouji, and nudge them gently into the right area so that they would interact with each other at just the right moment. She couldn't possibly do that for forty-nine more couples in thirty days, but she dreaded pairing a couple that just didn't work together. Neji had almost pinned Sakura while Naruto was walking by during the last festival, but Hinata had fortunately "accidentally" tripped onto him and cause him to miss. What a disaster that would have been.

Regardless of her time limit, Hinata decided to stick to her morals and choose the best couples as quickly as she could. If being a cupid was really all about finding love for the lonely, why not ensure that love would last as long as possible?

At first, it wasn't difficult at all for Hinata to find good matches. The next couple that she came across was a pair that happened to be on the same team, and were having a quick sparring match on the Konoha training grounds. One was a staff-wielding foreigner with bright brown eyes and her hair in a pair of neat buns, while the other was a lanky kid in a tacky leotard with a bowl haircut. Hinata was fond of pairing pretty girls with oddballs...she wasn't entirely sure why, but she always had a good feeling about them, and being that she was a guardian of love, she figured the good feeling was worth following. One swift shot of her heart-tipped arrow, and the two went from sparring with fists and feet to tongues and lips. Hinata couldn't help but giggle at the sight of it, but she fluttered off quietly with a sense of pride.

After that, she paired a few stray ninja that looked about right, then five more couples that were just normal civilians. While soaring by Ichiraku, she noticed Naruto slurping away on his usual bowl of ramen. Hinata smiled to herself and pulled an arrow out of her quiver to load it. Her bow made a subtle creak as she pulled the arrow back and aimed carefully at Naruto's back.

"If he loves ramen so much..."

She released the arrow, which bursted against him in a plume of magenta-tinted smoke. Naruto looked up slowly, and his pupils grew wide as they focused on the young girl behind the counter.

"Hee...that should work out well..."

After about a week, she managed to get twenty-five suitable couples under her belt. Overall, she found them to be quite satisfactory, although at one point, she did accidentally spill an arrow or two on Sakura as she was waving good-bye to her teacher, Kakashi. She felt guilty at first, but then shrugged. Love was random sometimes, right?

But come the next week, Hinata was starting to run out of people who felt right. Then, she started to run out of people who felt okay. By the end of the second week, she was out of people who even fell under the "meh" category. For that matter, she was actually running out of single people at all.

Defeated for the moment, she landed on the branch of a solemn tree in the Konoha training grounds and leaned back against its trunk. She was quite tired...her wings ached, and her fingers were sore from all the archery. All this cupid stuff was certainly hard work for little Hinata, and the saddest part about it was that she found herself unsatisfied with her efforts. Why did she have to be restricted by so many rules and time limits? Most of the couples she found probably wouldn't last longer than the spell they were put under...so why even bother with it?

Still, she didn't want to fail her family, and she knew that her father would be so disappointed in her if she didn't pass her test and become a fully recognized cupid. Neji would too...especially after the months of training he put her through. The worst part? After two weeks, she only had one pair to go...and she couldn't find a soul without a partner.

Hinata wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her face in her kimono. She felt like such a failure, she could just burst into tears at any moment. That is, until she heard the crunching of footsteps nearby. She lifted her gaze to the hooded figure sauntering across the training grounds with his hands fully submerged in the multiple layers of cloaks and jackets. The man was practically all clothing...even his eyes were covered up by a menacing pair of goggles. Sheesh, what a creepy guy.

Then it dawned on her. The last target! This guy was definitely single...Hinata didn't even need her Byakugan to see that. Plus, she had gotten so desperate...she could pair him up with anyone and be done with the whole fiasco. It would be simple...just wait for him to interact with any single passerby, and she was in the clear!

It would be easy...right?

~End of Chapter 1~


	2. Chapter 2

~Give Me Love~

~Chapter 2~

It was not easy. At all.

This guy was _Mr_. Antisocial. The only people he ever even looked at were his team mates Kiba and Sai, whom Hinata had already paired off with other shinobi. During an afternoon of stalking him behind corners, she found he was quite possibly the most solitary man in Konoha. He came home to a lonely apartment for one, and spent the rest of his time wandering around in the woods and fiddling with various insects he found along the way. Hinata was getting so frustrated...she just wanted to tag him and go home and lie down. Her wings were positively aching...but she _had_ to do this. She _must_ do it. For her family. For Father. For Neji.

Yet, there she was, stuck on a branch and watching this spooky weirdo pick at a praying mantis. As she stared at him with her face in her cupped hands, she came to an interesting thought. What would happen if she just shot him right now with no one around? It wasn't exactly against the rules, and theoretically speaking, he would just fall in love with the next person he saw. Technically speaking, you were supposed to find pairs to match up, but it didn't matter...as long as he was paired, right?

So Hinata strung her bow, loaded an arrow, and aimed carefully at the man's back. Without hesitating another moment, she released the arrow, then gasped in shock as the arrow was caught in the the man's grip. The second Hinata realized what had happened, the arrow snapped with a loud crack, then vanished into a plume of silky violet dust. Hinata's heart was pounding violently in her chest as the hooded figure turned his gaze towards her. Even behind those terrifying goggles, she could feel his eyes burning holes into her.

What was happening? Humans couldn't see cupids...cupids were invisible to the mortal eye! Wait...yes...that's it...he only saw where the attack was coming from...he couldn't see her...but then, how could he see her arrow?!

"Who are you and what do you want?" the figure asked sternly.

Hinata gulped hard, shaking with fear.

"Y-y-y-you can s-s-s-see m-me?"

"Of course I can. You're wearing that ridiculous outfit and you have a golden bow that reflects light everywhere. I don't know where you're from, but you must be the worst shinobi I've ever seen."

Hinata blinked, and clutched her bow to herself defensively.

"Sh-shinobi? Oh..oh no...you've...you've got it all wrong...I'm..."

She paused. Should she even mention that she was a cupid? The humans knew about them from their stories but, they were always considered to be myth. It might be dangerous to reveal otherwise.

"You're what? A visitor? A festival attendee? Some punk kid who's up to no good? That tends to be a running theme here with shinobi who wear brightly colored outfits..."

"I'm...I'm..."

"Spit it out. If you don't tell me who you are and what your purpose is, I'll subdue you and report you to the Hokage as a trespasser."

Hinata was trembling so much, she lost her balance and began to tumble out of the tree. She managed to catch a nearby branch on the way down, but landed in a rather unflattering position in the dirt below. Now vulnerable, she hurriedly scrambled upright and felt around for her bow, terrified that the hooded man would be eager to attack her at this point. However, when she caught view of what was going on, she noticed that the man was silently walking away from her, hands in pockets.

"H..hey! Where are you going? Don't you want to know what I am?" she asked pitifully, while getting herself to her feet. He continued to walk on, not even turning his head.

"You're not dangerous. That's all I need to know."

She paused, not sure whether to take the statement as an insult or a relief. Yet, she couldn't let him go...he was her final hope, and it was concerning that he of all humans could see her. Picking up her bow, she trotted off after him.

"Wait...wait!" she called as she lightly bounced to his side. He didn't bother giving her a glance.

"You don't understand...this is a very strange circumstance! You see, I'm a Hyuga cupid. I'm..I'm trying to find couples to pair for the festival, and I only need one more...I'm...I've looked everywhere, and you're the only one I could find..."

No attention was given to her.

"...I mean...i-it's strange...because you can see me. You're not supposed to be able to see me..."

Silence. They continued to walk deeper into the woods, and the ground started to become gnarled and tangled with roots. Hinata took this as an opportunity to show off her ability to fly to prove what she was trying to tell him. Her wings lifted her up, and she fluttered in front of him.

"See? My wings even let me fly...I'm a real cupid! Really! So please...isn't...isn't there anyone who is special to you? Aren't you lonely?"

"No." He replied curtly as he dodged her and continued to walk on. Hinata pouted and fluttered beside him.

"Come on, anyone at all? No crushes, even someone you thought was cute?"

"No."

"Well...even so...if you're lonely...I can make it so..."

"Not interested."

Hinata huffed and crossed her arms as the hooded man continued onward without her. What a jerk! He was really starting to get on her nerves...but she couldn't give up now! With a whirl of wind on her wings, she flew in front of him and got right up in his face. His brows scowled onto the tops of his goggles as he attempted to swat her away like an annoying fly.

"Come on, you're my last hope! You have to help me!"

"Get out of my way!" He barked, yet Hinata continued to keep him from going any further.

Then, without warning, the hooded man tripped on a knotted root, and tumbled into a gaping hole in the ground. Hinata gasped and grabbed him by the back of his coat in a hurry, but her wings did not have enough power to keep the two afloat. As a result, she was sucked into the hole with him, and down into an endless darkness.

She awoke moments later beneath a dim beam of light from the opening above her, with lungs full of dust. After a fit of coughs, she groaned and attempted to lift herself off the ground, but her whole body ached with scratches and bruises. She squinted into the light above her and noticed the remains of broken roots and knots. The hole must have been at least twenty feet above her, so she had taken quite a fall. Still, no issue for a cupid, right? She could just fly right on out of there and be on her way. She tried to move her wing, but a piercing bolt of pain shot through her back. She shrieked into the darkness around her, and clutched feebly at her wing. Her feathers were hot and sticky, and matted with blood and dust.

Her eyes widened as she began to understand her situation. She was stuck! And greatly injured! And in this horrible hole in the middle of nowhere! All thanks to a stupid, good for nothing, stubborn...wait. Where was the hooded man?

It was then she noticed a dim glow a few feet away from her, and it was coming towards her. Hinata shielded herself with an arm, but as the glow came into the light, she recognized him as the man she'd been so adamant to disturb, surrounded by hundreds of little black insects. Hinata wasn't quite sure what to make of the whole picture, but she knew that she had made a terrible mistake. This man wasn't about to let her be after she had caused him to fall in this hole. With this realization, hot, dusty tears began to form at the corners of Hinata's hazy white eyes.

Much to her surprise, the figure drew back his hood to reveal a mess of swept back, spiky brown hair. He still had his goggles on, but he appeared...much more human. He then got down on a knee and offered a hand to Hinata. She looked into his goggles with confusion.

"You're injured," he said quietly. "Let me help you up."

A moment of hesitation went by, but she decided to take his offer. His gloved hand wrapped around her delicate little fingers, and felt strangely warm. She wobbled as he lifted her up, then he caught her around the waist as she began to fall back down. It seems her knee had taken some damage as well. She clutched onto him to hold herself up.

"I'm...I'm..so...so sorry..." she whimpered, tears now making filthy trails down her cheeks.

The man grunted, then eased her down onto the ground again. He leaned down on his knee and gave her a hard stare.

"You're nothing but trouble."

Hinata blushed and looked away from him, clenching her eyes shut. She bunched herself up to the best of her abilities while avoiding her injuries, and hoped she would just disappear and wake up in her fluffy bed in Sky Castle. A few minutes went by, then she started to feel a firm, yet gentle tug at her wings. She looked up and behind her, and found the man to be wiping the filth away from her feathers with a medical cloth. His work was illuminated by the soft yellow glow of the insects about him.

"Wh...what are you doing?" she asked meekly.

"Fixing up your injuries. You won't be able to get very far with a broken wing."

"But...I...I thought...why are you h-helping me?"

The man sighed and continued to stare at his work.

"You know, I really hate birds. They're nothing but nuisances...they're loud, they're ugly...they leave feathers everywhere..."

Hinata just stared at him, afraid to do anything further. He paused and looked up at her.

"But, I can't leave a helpless creature alone in the dark. It's against my morals, even if you are part good-for-nothing bird."

"I'm...I'm a cupid, not a bird..." she said quietly.

"Whatever. The anatomy's not much different," he grumbled as he pulled out some ointment from his backpack. "Hold still, this will probably sting."

Hinata clenched her fists and squeaked as the stinging antiseptic made its way into her wounds. More tugging followed as he began to wrap her wing in gauze.

"I really don't care what you are, to be honest. All I care about is getting out of this cave. I wouldn't say you're _welcome_ to come with me, but I'm probably your only chance of getting out of here alive. Just...be quiet, and follow my lead. Is that understood?"

Hinata stared at him as he began to pack up his things. "But, I..."

"I said to be quiet. Do you want out of here or not?"

"Y...yes."

"Then shut it."

"But..."

"If you say one more thing..."

"I just..."

"That does it, I'm leaving you behind..."

He promptly got up and began to walk off, but Hinata reached out and grabbed him by his coat.

"I just want to know your name!" she yelped.

The man sighed, then turned to her.

"It's Shino."

"Shino..." she repeated to herself.

"Yes?" he replied curtly.

"Thank you...for...for helping me."

"Sure." He began to turn away again.

"Wait...don't you want to know my name?"

"Not really," he replied as he started walking off into the darkness. Hinata struggled to lift herself to her feet.

"Well, it's Hinata. My name is HinaTAH!" She yelped as she fell back down, clutching her knee. Shino let out another sigh, then knelt down to her.

"Here, get on my back. I'll carry you...but only if you promise to stay quiet for the rest of the way."

She nodded in defeat, then shuffled her way onto his back. His arms wrapped around her thighs a bit too tightly for comfort, but she weaved her arms around his shoulders all the same. She felt herself clutching onto him as if doing so would save her life.

Then again...it probably would.

~End of Chapter 2~


	3. Chapter 3

~Give Me Love~

~Chapter 3~

As requested, Hinata remained perfectly silent while Shino carried her throughout the ominous caverns. It was absolute torture not to pester him with questions about who he was, why he was so disinterested in love, why he hated birds so much, what was with the little glowing insects that followed him everywhere and seemed to do whatever he bid them to do, and most importantly, why he could see her.

But, she could barely move, her knee and wing were busted, and he had been kind enough to carry her about as opposed to leaving her on the dusty cavern floor for all eternity. So, she kept her lip zipped, and settled with being the least amount of a nuisance she could be. Occasionally there would be a scutter or a flapping in the darkness that would spook the poor cupid and cause her to bury her face in the folds of Shino's hood. Shino would grunt and hoist her up back onto him every now and then, but otherwise showed no response.

Eventually, they made their way to a particularly spacious cavern. Hinata could feel the temperature drop around them, and the echoes of Shino's footsteps grew louder. She lifted her head from his hood and noticed just how dark everything was. Beyond the glow of Shino's insects, it was like a sheet of infinite, unseeable space. It made Hinata feel very empty and small. Yet, the colder the area around her grew, the more appreciative she was of Shino's warmth. That is, until she felt herself being sat down.

"Wha..." she let escape before covering her mouth.

"I can't hold you while I do this. Be patient."

Hinata felt horribly alone as Shino stepped away from her. She was almost submerged in a complete, freezing darkness, until she saw Shino's faintly illuminated silhouette reach its arms out. Within moments, thousands upon thousands of glowing insects spewed out from Shino's coat in massive clouds. Hinata watched in awe as the clouds brightened up the enormous room before them. What they revealed was astounding.

The cave must have been at least five hundred meters high. Two massive limestone structures towered high above them, like a pair of titans that had been drizzled with icing. Along the ceiling was a beautiful curtain of stalactites that dripped down into ribbons and long, tendril-like sticks. At the very base of the limestone titans was a crystal-clear pool of water, surrounded by a wall composed of a variety of stubby little stalagmites. Hinata's heart ached at the beauty that nature had left for them.

Once Shino had finished releasing the insects, he made his way over to the pool and began to reach towards it. Hinata couldn't hold her tongue.

"Wait! Don't touch that!"

Shino turned to her.

"This place has been here for millions of years! It would be a shame if you touched it..."

Shino quietly pointed to some of the stalagmites nearby the edge of the pool. They looked a lot more worn than the other ones.

"See these? They've been stunted by touch. Someone's been here before, so by no means is this cave pure and untouched. There are even some coins at the bottom of this pool."

Hinata frowned at this, but supposed there wasn't much more to say about it.

"This also means that there's a possibility of a way out of here...assuming we don't come across any remains."

Hinata gulped. "...r-remains?"

Shino knelt down and filled a flask with the cave water. "Yeah. Could be that the people who were here before didn't make it. If we find their bodies, it will make our journey much more difficult."

Heavens help her. A broken wing and a twisted knee, endless dark caves, and now dead bodies? Hinata was just a cupid trying to find love for people! This was no place for her. When would she ever get out of here?! Or for that matter...would she even get out of here at all? Or be stuck in this miserable place with this creep with the bugs? She started to feel her eyes tear up again, and she went back into her defensive bundled position. Again, she felt a tugging at her wings.

Shino was washing her feathers with water from the flask. The bandages had grown red with blood, so he decided it was time to change them. Carefully and diligently, he went through the procedure of sanitizing and binding her wound. Despite the sting of the ointment, he amazingly knew just how to handle her wing so it would cause the minimum amount of pain. Once he was done wrapping her up, he poured some water onto a cloth and moved to her front, then pressed the back of his fingers to her forehead. He grunted, then moistened a spare cloth with the cave water and began wiping away the dust on her face. Hinata stared at him in wonder.

"You're starting to get a little feverish. Here, drink some water."

She clasped the flask with both hands and sipped away at it as commanded. The water was chilly, and had a sort of coppery taste to it. She hadn't noticed before, but now that he mentioned it, she did feel rather hot and weak. Yet, she couldn't stop shivering. Even with the cave somewhat lit, the emptiness of got to her, and seemed to chill her right to her very soul. It was a terrible feeling, being so handicapped and dependant on this stranger, who treated her like a burden, yet felt so compelled to help her out even after she had caused the incident in the first place. It then occurred to her that her barrier of silence had been broken momentarily, and Shino seemed to be taking a moment to rest for himself. Perhaps now would be a good time to learn more about her temporary companion...but what to ask?

"You...sure know a lot about taking care of people," she muttered.

"Just basic medical training. All shinobi are required to know it for missions."

"Well, you even know how to fix my wing. I don't think normal ninja have those..."

"Mmm. I spend a lot of time in nature...I study animals, mostly insects. You learn a few things."

"But you said you hated birds..."

"I still study them."

"Why?"

"Why not?"

Hinata bit her lip. She was glad he was being talkative, but his vague responses irked her. What was with this guy?

"Hmm...well...anyway, I really appreciate all your help."

"It's not a problem."

Hinata tapped her fingers together shyly.

"Um...how much longer do you think til we get out of here?"

"As long as it takes."

Hrmph.

"Anymore annoying questions you want to throw at me?" he said as he cast a glance in her direction.

Hinata had just about had it with his attitude. You know what? She did have questions! And she was gonna ask them!

"Yeah, I do!" she barked as she placed her hands on her hips. "What's with all these weird bugs you carry around? And why didn't you bring them out the whole time if you could make the whole cavern light up like that? And why can you see me? And how were you able to catch my arrow?!"

Wait a minute...

"Oh no..." she held her hands to her cheeks in panic, "My bow! I left it behind!"

Without thinking, she tried to get to her feet, only to fall as she relentlessly had before. Shino held her down by the shoulder. She looked at him with distraught.

"If I lose my bow...I can't become a real cupid..."

Then it all started to come back to her. Her family, her task, the fact that she only had a week before the festival, and why she had ended up in this miserable place in the first place. At this rate, she would never become a true cupid. Her family would be ashamed. She wadded herself up tighter than ever before, and sobbed into her sleeves until she realized that Shino was no longer next to her. In addition, the bugs were starting to fade out.

"Sh...Shino-kun?"

Her voice echoed against the walls, but no response. The bugs became dimmer.

"Shino-kun? Shino-kun! Where are you?! Please don't leave me behind! Please!"

She crawled across the ground, unable to get herself to her feet. Though, it was more of a drag then a crawl, and her dress was snagging on the rough rocks below her. She didn't care, though...she absolutely did not want to be left behind.

Darker and darker the cave grew, as her form fell into a complete bitch-black abyss. She continued to crawl, helplessly, the sharp pain in her wing growing more and more apparent.

"Shino-kun! Shino-kun! I'm sorry for asking you so many questions! I'll be quiet! I promise!"

Fear crawled down into her throat and made her eyes swell. Still she scratched her way through the emptiness. Only the sounds of her breathing and ripping cloth could be heard.

"Shino...kun..."

Then, she was lifted up.

"You're so troublesome...I leave you alone for five seconds and you have a panic attack. Calm down."

She couldn't see him, but she felt his arms around her legs and torso, and she was pressed against his chest. His warmth was never more welcome.

"I only left because my insects found an exit up ahead. It might be a bit of a climb, but we'll get out of here."

Shino was a scary person. He was always under a hood, and his eyes for forever hidden behind black, opaque goggles. He had a scowl permanently tattooed on his brow. He had insects that lived in his sleeves. But even in the darkness, even though he didn't have wings, even though he had treated her with such distaste, he was an angel right then and there. Hinata pressed her face against his chest and closed her eyes. As long as she was next to him, she was safe.

An undetermined amount of time passed. For reasons unknown to Hinata, Shino had continued his journey in complete darkness. It honestly didn't matter to her at that point...as silly as Shino had made it seem, being alone on the cavern floor had utterly traumatized little Hinata, and quite frankly as long as she was in contact with him, it didn't matter where he was taking her. She didn't really have any other options besides that, anyway.

The time did however come when they reached the exit that Shino had mentioned. Though, a "bit of a climb," was kind of an understatement. She might of had an easier time just waiting for her wing to naturally heal and fly out the way she came in. Nevertheless, it did look at least ten feet lower than the entrance did, and there were some roots along the edges that might make climbing fairly easy...that is if you didn't have a twisted knee.

"You expect me to climb up that?" Hinata asked with concern.

"No, I expect you to stay here until your wing heals. Then you can just fly out."

Hinata looked at him with such shock, she could had sworn that the corner of his lips had curled into a smile.

"Of course not. Just hold onto my back like you did before, and we'll be out of here in no time," he replied in the dim light, "Then I can get rid of you."

Hinata had almost returned the subtle smile, but that last bit put things back into perspective. As Shino set her down and positioned himself so that she could climb on his back, she understood that she hadn't become any closer to him than when she first saw him. He thought of her as a wounded animal, that he just happened to come across. When he was free, he'd leave her to her business, and would probably never see her again.

She hoisted herself up on his back, and thought to herself how unfair the whole ordeal was. She didn't think that such an experience would be so emotional for her...she had really felt as if Shino had become this sort of shell of safety for her, like something she could trust and rely on. As they slowly made their ascent up the roots and rocks, she clung to him tightly, afraid to let go. Not just because of another possible fall, but the fear of losing this person all together. She pressed her face against his hood once again, and held her eyes shut.

"Almost...there..." he grunted.

Just a few more minutes...and he would be gone.

"Don't...let...go..."

"I won't," she whimpered.

Then it was done. They were out. The air was clean and full of life, and the clean, gleaming light of the moon brightened the forest they emerged in. Shino collapsed onto his stomach the moment the ground became horizontal, and he lay panting heavily. Hinata still clung to his back for a little while, but ultimately decided it was best to let him have his space.

"What now?" she asked him meekly, now sitting up. Shino turned his head towards her, still lying on the ground, then an expression struck his face that Hinata hadn't previously witnessed. It looked like...embarrassment? But...why...

She looked down at herself, and her cheeks lit up like a nightclub.

After all that scratching around on the ground, she had managed to tear an enormous hole right in the middle of her kimono, which inconveniently revealed the area just where she hid a delicate pair of lavender undergarments. To make matters worse, now the light of the full moon shown on her like a spotlight. In a panic, she bundled the torn fabric around herself and clenched her eyes shut, and preyed to whatever diety she could think of to smite her right then and there.

"Well..." she heard Shino say, while listening to the sounds of him get on his feet, "First we need to cover you up."

Hinata felt something warm drape around her shoulders. It smelt earthy and worn, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself wrapped in Shino's forest-green coat. She was immediately thankful for the covering, but it made her realize that Shino was wearing one less layer. When she looked up at him, well...she had to admit it was an _improvement _to say the least.

In fact, improvement was quite the understatement. There he stood, clad in a solid black sleeveless garment which clung to the curve of his muscles in all the absolute right ways. In combination with his swept back hair and those striking goggles, he was the perfect mixture of intimidating and...irresistible.

Hinata had to give her bottom lip a good bite to yank herself back to normal. What was she thinking? She was a cupid, he was just a human. An annoying, stubborn, mean, rude...hot...

"So, do you want to get out of this forest, or are you gonna sit there forever?" Shino said with his usual straight-forward manner, arms folded.

"...unh?" was all that managed to tumble out of Hinata's mouth.

Shino sighed. "Is there anywhere I can take you where someone of your kind can come get you?"

Hinata blinked. It was a good question...she wondered why she hadn't thought of it before. Plus it gave her brain an excuse to chew on something else besides what Shino looked like under all his layers.

"Um...well...I...I don't know. My...my family knows that I'm supposed to be in Konoha, but...I don't know...I should have been able to just fly back by myself. I never expected my wing to get broken."

"You didn't plan on an emergency situation like that? Hasn't your kind ever been wounded before?"

She didn't really like how he kept referring to her family as _her kind._

"N-no...well, not that I've heard of. We're supposed to be...kind of...immortal, I guess?"

Shino pinched the bridge of his nose and scowled. "Nine beasts, you're such a troublesome thing."

"I'm not a thing!" she shouted, beginning to lift onto her good knee, "I'm a cupid! My name is Hinata of the Hyugas! Someday I'm going to be a true cupid, and I'm going to find love and happiness for everyone, even stupid grumpy people like you!"

Shino lifted a brow at her. Hinata had managed to wobble onto both of her legs, her hands still bundled in the torn ruffles around her. A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead as the pain became more and more apparent on her face.

"So don't call me a thing! My name is...my name is...Hinata..."

Her knee gave out, and again she fell. Again, Shino was there to catch her.

"Troublesome _and _loud," he said sternly, but softer this time. He scooped her up into his arms and proceeded to start his trek out of the woods.

"Where are you taking me?" Hinata asked with a pout.

"Back to Konoha. That's my good coat, and I want it back. You can stay at my apartment until I figure out what to do with you. Maybe if I'm lucky one of your feathered friends will whisk you away as soon as we get back."

Hinata folded her arms over herself.

There really was no end to what a jackass this guy could be.

~End of Chapter 3~


	4. Chapter 4

~Give me Love~

~Chapter 4~

After the traversing the labyrinth of the caverns, the forest was a piece of cake. They even managed to get back to Konoha before dawn, to which Shino was very thankful. In the early hours of the morning, Shino was free to bring his mysterious cargo back to his living quarters without the danger of prying eyes. Not that anyone else could actually _see_ his cargo, but the fact that he looked like he was carrying something when there was clearly nothing may have raised some unwanted questions.

Hinata had peacefully dozed off halfway through the journey, but awoke to the sound of a door unlocking and creaking open. She heard the flick of a light switch, and buzz of an overhead light struggling to light up a strange little room.

It was a cheap, dim, cluttered, but oddly organized studio apartment. There were shelves and tables and bookcases against every wall, each stacked with hundreds upon hundreds of little glass boxes filled with twigs, dirt, and leaves. There were piles of well-used notebooks stacked up in the corners, with unfamiliar labels like "Mantodea" and "Lucanidae." In some of the notebooks that were flopped open, there were mad scrawlings and illustrations. In the corner was a sad futon with a single sheet and a soggy pillow, also scattered with notes, and in the opposite corner was a dingy kitchen piled with leftover bowls of noodles. The place stunk of nature and craziness.

After staring in bewilderment at her surroundings, Hinata found herself being laid gently on the futon.

"Sorry for the mess, I'm not accustomed to visitors." Shino said dismissively.

Hinata said nothing. Compared to the extravagant walls of pure elegance she was used to in Sky Castle, this place was so puzzling that she had a hard time wrapping her head around someone even being able to reside in it.

Shino ambled his way over to the filthy cranny designated as his kitchen and opened a tiny refrigerator that was so cheap it didn't even have a light in it.

"You want anything to drink? Water? Beer? I've got maybe a swallow full of this pomegranate juice left," he said while pulling out a questionable carton of something.

"Um...n-no thank you," Hinata sputtered awkwardly.

"I guess your kind doesn't drink or eat human food..." he thought out-loud while gulping down the last of what was in the mysterious carton.

"Oh...no...we do. I mean...yes, we eat. Earth food. We can eat it." Hinata's cheeks flared. Something about this place just filled her with anxiety. She almost wished she was back in the cave...at least that place had room.

Shino made his way back over to her, then pulled a stool over and took a seat. He then proceeded to pull off his goggles, toss them onto a nearby desk, then run a hand through his swept back hair. Once he opened his eyes, he stared straight into Hinata's with a piercing intensity. His eyes were solid, abysmal black. Hinata stared back at him wide-eyed and terrified with her own hazy pair.

"So. What am I going to have to do to get you out of my hair?"

Hinata gulped hard. "I...I...I don't know. This has never happened before...m..maybe if I...went to a rooftop or something, my...my cousin...my cousin could find me and come pick me up."

"Hmm."

Hinata looked down at herself. She was still cloaked by Shino's coat, and her dress was still ripped into embarrassingly revealing shreds.

"Do you...m-maybe...have a sewing kit? So...I can..."

"Mm. I do, but it's only for sewing small things like buttons. I don't think it would be enough to fix your dress. Hang on..."

With that, Shino got up and disappeared into a closet that Hinata hadn't noticed before. There was so much to look at, she was discovering new pieces of his apartment everywhere she looked. She got distracted looking at a poster of a cross-section of some type of beetle when a big wad of cloth smacked her in the face.

"You can have that for the time being. I rarely wear it, and it should be big enough to cover you."

Hinata pulled the cloth out of her face and lifted it up by the corners. It was an over-sized, grey turtleneck sweater. It would probably function as a sweater on someone as tall as Shino, but for little doll-like Hinata, it could serve as an actual full-body garment.

"Um...do you have a room I can ch-change in?"

"Not really. You can change right there, I don't care."

Hinata flushed bright red. "I...I...'

Shino sighed at took a seat at a desk across the room, facing away from her.

"I won't look."

He then began scribbling in one of the strewn about notebooks. Hinata gave his back a skeptical look, but then she went ahead and unfastened the remnants of her kimono. She kept her eye on Shino as she became more and more vulnerable to him, making sure he wasn't coping a peek like the pervert he probably was. Yet, even with his back turned, she still felt as if hundreds of eyes were looking at her now bare, porcelain skin.

Hurriedly, she shuffled into the sweater and pulled it over herself. Even though it carried the stench of being in a closet for a year, it was very cozy, and was long enough to cover the majority of her thighs. The sleeves were so long, only her fingers stuck out of the openings. The turtleneck itself was so big it covered Hinata's mouth.

"Okay, you c-can look now." she said meekly.

Shino turned around, and as his eyes fell upon her, Hinata saw the corner of his mouth curl into the most subtle of smiles.

"Well, that works pretty well for you, doesn't it?"

"Um...almost..." she said, while turning her back towards him. Her wings were jutting out uncomfortably under the fabric.

Shino did something then that Hinata never expected. He actually chuckled. Doing so made it harder for him to hide his smile, and seeing that curl of his lips made him look...well, should she even admit it? He looked downright welcoming. Even...handsome. Hinata was almost about to smile back, when he pulled out a small knife from his boot and made his way over to her. Hinata backed away a bit in defense, holding an arm over herself. Shino placed a warm hand on her shoulder and applied a gentle force to face her away from him.

"You're like a common Lepidoptera."

"A what?!" She cried in panic, as she felt the knife against her back. A couple of rips later, and the pressure on her wings was lifted. He faced her towards him again, holding the knife, now dotted with strings of fabric.

"A moth. They're known for destroying your cloths. Which is what you're doing to mine."

"I...I'm sorry..." she whimpered.

Shino sheathed his knife back in his boot, then reached his arm out, placed a hand on her head, then ruffled her hair.

"It's fine. I've always hated that sweater anyway. One of my team mates gave it to me for Christmas, and I don't care for his taste in clothing."

Hinata said nothing, but continued to stare up at him, waiting for his next move.

"Anyway, it's getting late. Why don't you get some sleep, and in the morning I'll take you to the tallest building I know and we'll see if we can get your feathered friends to come pick you up?"

"Okay...but...where are you going to sleep?"

He smirked. "I don't need to. I can catch up on some research while you rest."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Are...are you sure? That's not very healthy to stay awake..."

"Don't worry about it, I do it all the time."

Hinata pursed her lips, but didn't feel like arguing about it. She _was_ very tired, and she was looking forward to going home. The sooner she was out of this bug-ridden bachelor pad, the better. Without another word, she laid down on the futon, and shut her eyes. She felt Shino pull the one sheet over her, then heard him walk over to the other side of the room and resume his scribbling.

She opened her eyes once more, staring at his back.

"Um...Shino-kun?" she asked shyly.

"Mmm."

"Thank you...again...for everything."

"Sure. You rest now little Ga-chan."

_Annoying Bird. Your Kind. Troublesome. _That's what he had called her, she thought to herself. He had been so hostile to her, and she had understood why. Yet, despite dragging him into the depths of a cave and wasting his time, he had cared for her. He set her wing, he cleaned her face, he kept her warm. Hinata had wondered if she was simply a wounded animal to him, that she would have received the same treatment if she was nothing more than a sparrow that had a bad encounter with a window. But now here she was, on a flop-house futon surrounded by stacks of notebooks and bug boxes, wrapped in a sweater that he had personally ruined just for her. She had even seen him smile at her. Before going back to his research, he called her "Little Moth."

She wouldn't have exactly referred to that as a term of endearment, but when "Little Moth," escaped his lips, it was not laced with hostility like the other terms had. Hinata had meant to sleep, but she couldn't stop staring at the man working before her. She found it funny actually, as she had fully expected to keep herself awake thinking about the implications of tomorrow and how her bow was missing and her dress was destroyed and how she had only tagged forty-nine couples instead of fifty, and how she spent the night in a weird human's house and how her wing was broken.

But her mind didn't even graze against those thoughts. The entire night, her head was filled with Shino.

~End of Chapter 4~


	5. Chapter 5

~Give Me Love~

~Chapter 5~

Hinata woke up the next morning with that feeling you get when you wake up in a place you've never been before and you can only vaguely recollect how you got there the day before. Her body was sore and she felt horribly stuffy, and her eyes were sticky with sleep. Not only that, but despite having slept for quite a while, the room seemed just as dim as it had when she fell asleep.

Hinata sat up and rubbed her eyes with the back of her sleeves, then gave her body a good stretch and a yawn. She then took a moment to extend her legs and reach down to touch her toes. Her knee was still a bit sore, but it felt much better. As such, she decided to test it out. She wobbled as she got to her feet, but after about ten seconds, she remained sturdily upright. She then took a light step off the futon and onto the hardwood floor, and managed to get there without falling over. Hinata smiled to herself, feeling quite pleased that she had regained this basic function.

At that point, she noticed a glowing seam of light peeking out from under a shabby little curtain that was crudely pinned to a window. Hinata delicately stepped over all the notebooks and boxes, and made her way over to it. She peeled back the curtain to reveal a blinding ray of sunshine, that illuminated the whole room with a great proficiency. She squinted into the light, then noticed a latch at the bottom of the window that was encased in a thick coat of dust. Hinata pinched at the latch, then shoved the window up with a creak and a plume of ancient dust, and was immediately greeted with a sweet, refreshing breeze. She inhaled the scent deeply, thankful for the relief from the clostrophobic little flat.

When she was done, she took a good look around the room now that she had a better eye on things, and immediately wished that she hadn't. The little boxes that had been hidden in the darkness were filled with all sorts of hideous little creatures with wings and legs and jaws and all manner of things that shouldn't be touched. Dust and cobwebs were a common theme, and the notebooks took up more space than previously thought.

It was then that Hinata noticed the occupant of this hovel himself, snoozing away on a stool and buried deep in folded arms on a desk. He looked terribly uncomfortable, but he hardly made a sound as he slept.

Hinata tiptoed her way over to him to examine him a bit closer. His goggles were still off, but his ominous eyes were peacefully closed. Hinata waved a hand in front of him to check if he was truly asleep. When he made no response, Hinata smiled to herself.

"You ended up falling asleep anyway, Shino-kun..."

She placed her hands on her hips, and gave another look around the apartment.

"Well, I might as well do something to thank you for everything you've done for me..."

A few hours later, Shino slowly emerged from his slumber. He lifted himself up straight, keeping his eyes clenched shut from the grogginess, and rubbed the back of his neck with a gloved hand. His eyes opened slightly and stared at his desk, trying to gain conciousness from hours of uncomfortable sleep. Then, he noticed something amiss. The notebook he had been buried in the night before was neatly closed in front of him with a pencil placed acrossed it like it was a display in a store. He lifted a brow at the spectacle, and noticed that his entire desk was just as clean, and wiped free of dust and papers. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening, and he turned sharply to see Hinata in the middle of a thoroughly cleaned room, sweeping the last of a pile of dust with a broom that he had completely forgotten he owned.

"What did you do?!" He barked with a hint of growing anger.

"Ohayo Shino-kun! I just cleaned your place up a bit cause it was so messy..."

In a wave of movement that Hinata could barely register, Shino grabbed both her shoulders, glaring at her in fury.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?! My research! My decades of research! It's all gone! And my insects...what did you do?!"

Hinata felt herself pulling back defensively, eyes wide with fear.

"I..I didn't...I I didn't do a-a-anything! I-It's all here, I just..o-organized it, Sh-shino-kun!"

His onyx eyes narrowed at her.

Hinata lifted a shaky finger and pointed at one of the bookcases. Shino glanced over at it, and found that it was completely full with all of his notebooks, organized alphabetically, and free of dust. On another bookcase, his bugs had been neatly set in a row and labeled clearly. Even their cages looked cleaner. He began to release his grip on her.

"S-see? If...if anything, it should h-help you. I can tell...you...you really like your work, so I made sure that everything was...easy to find..."

As she explained everything to him, he had walked over to the bookshelf filled with his notebooks and was dragging his finger across them. Hinata finally began to relax a bit.

"You...also had some stray pages around, so I stacked them up and set them on that desk over there. I wasn't sure what order to put them in, so I thought you could do that yourself."

Shino turned to her and said nothing, but looked at her with an expression that was equal parts awe and confusion.

Hinata clutched the broom to herself shyly, then continued pointing out things to him.

"I also made your bed for you, and dusted, and I cleaned your kitchen up too. Doesn't it look much nicer?"

Shino's expression remained unchanged for a few minutes, then meandered his way back to the stool he awoke from and sat back down.

Hinata took a cautious step towards him. "What's wrong? Do you not like it?"

He held his head in his hand. "No, it's not that..."

She chewed her lip nervously.

"It's just, no one's ever done something like this for me before."

Hinata gave him a cheerful smile. "Oh, it's no big deal...I just thought I would repay you for taking care of me, and I think your bugs will be happier in this environment."

Shino up at her and looked right in her eyes. Then, he gave her a pure, genuine smile.

"I think they'll be happier too. Thank you, Ga-chan."

Her cheeks lit up, and she looked away from him.

"Y-you're welcome, Sh-Shino-kun."

Shino and Hinata exchanged a look with each other for a few moments in silence.

"So," Shino said after a while.

Hinata blinked.

"How'about we take you back to your family now?"

Being out in public was a very strange feeling. Hinata knew that she couldn't be seen by anyone else, but it felt like every passerby was looking at her with her over-sized sweater and her hand curled around Shino's arm. She hoped dearly that Shino's intimidating wardrobe was the one attracting the curious eyes and not the winged creature at his side.

After spending all morning cleaning Shino's apartment, Hinata's knee had gotten sore again, so Shino offerred his arm for her to lean on. He was also walking at a very slow pace for her, which gave Hinata the opportunity to look around for any signs of Neji. Shino had decided that the best rooftop would be the Konoha Hospital, since it was a relatively tall building in a central location. On the way there, they stopped at a market stand for a quick bite to eat. Shino got a couple of to-go Bento boxes, and mentioned that it would be best to eat them once they got to the rooftop. It was already strange enough that one of them was invisible...it would be even weirder to be seen eating together.

When they reached the hospital, they were stopped by a familiar nurse with fluffy pink hair.

"Good afternoon, Shino-kun! Do you have an injury or are you here to visit someone?"

"Hello Haruno-san. Actually, I wanted to go to the rooftop. I think I might have left one of my belongings there."

"Shino-kun, I didn't think you were the forgetful type! What did you leave up there?"

Shino furrowed his brow at her intrusiveness. Hinata clung to his arm, but hid behind him as if she could still be seen.

"My extra pair of glasses. May we come up?"

"We?" Sakura asked with a curious look. Hinata bit her lip. Did he blow it?

"Myself and my insects, of course," he said without skipping a beat.

Sakura looked slightly disgusted.

"Oh...right...of course. Well, you're welcome to go up there. Just don't disturb any of the patients on your way."

"Noted," Shino replied, and he strode onward without another word.

When the pair reached the rooftop, they settled themselves down against a fence opposite of the hospital sheets that had been hung out to dry. Then they swiftly dug into their Bento boxes. Hinata was starved, and she figured it would be a while before Neji would find her anyway, so she might as well enjoy these last few minutes with her strange friend before she never saw him again. After nibbling a few pieces of sake nigiri, she turned to Shino with a question that had popped up a little while earlier.

"Shino-kun...why did that woman look at you like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like she was grossed out."

"She probably didn't like the thought of my insects," he said calmly, taking a bite of beef teriyaki.

"What's wrong with that? She doesn't like that you keep bugs in your sleeves?"

"I don't keep bugs in my sleeves, I keep bugs in my body."

Hinata froze solid, turning pale. Shino looked at her her, his face shadowed under his hood and goggles not unlike the first day she had met him. Hinata's eyes were wide.

"...wh...what?"

"It's my family's special ninjutsu," he said, setting his chopsticks down to reach a hand out toward her. Within moments, his fingers were crawling with little black specks.

"We use a special species of insect to fight or perform various tasks for us. They feed off of chakra, so we let them stay in our bodies in return for their protection and service. It's a symbiotic thing."

Hinata's face was white. She'd never heard such a bizarre phenomenon in all her days.

"Does that bother you?" he asked quietly.

She hesitantly shook her head, trying to be polite, but was very obviously flabbergasted at the whole concept.

"It's not your fault if you are. Not many people are fond of being around me, which is why I stick to myself most of the time. I don't mind it."

Hinata felt guilty that she was quickly becoming one of those people, but it was difficult to look at him the same way.

"Are you going to eat the rest of your bento?"

"I-I...I'm not...hungry."

"You only at two bites of fish."

"I'm...okay..." she whimpered.

Shino stared at her. It was difficult to tell his expression under all that fabric, but a cupid knew when certain feelings were strong. It was painful for her to admit it, but she had hurt him somehow.

"It's alright, I understand completely," he said rather numbly, getting to his feet. Hinata looked up at him, struggling to keep the disgust from her face.

"I'll leave. Your family should be able to find you up here, so hopefully it won't take long."

Hinata was filled with a variety of emotions swelling within her awestruck silence. Half of her was relieved that he was going, and that it was only a matter of time before Neji found her, and she could go back to Sky Castle and take a hot bath and sleep in her own bed and just forget about the whole stupid cupid thing and just wait until next year and try her trial again. It didn't matter anymore...as long as she was home with her family. As long as she was out of caves and forests and horrible dusty apartments. But, the other half of her was filled with pain and regret. She realized then, as Shino began walking away from her, that he was the only friend that she had every really had. Now he was about to leave her forever.

She almost called to him, but he stopped on his own accord before half-glancing at her over his shoulder.

"You know...I...I was happy, having you around. I'm sorry I can't do the same for you."

Before Hinata could react, he vanished behind the rows and rows of sheets billowing about on the rooftop. She felt very cold then, but hung onto the thought of Neji coming to get her. She bundled herself up in her over-sized turtleneck, and wrapped her arms around her knees. Her broken wing stung, and the sun was starting to make its way down into the horizon.

Hinata shut her eyes, and wished for Neji with all of her heart.

~End of Chapter 5~


	6. Chapter 6

~Give Me Love~

~Chapter 6~

Neji did not come.

Hinata stayed on the rooftop of the hospital for what must have been eight hours. During that time, she had finished her bento, played around in the sheets, watched people go by on the streets, and even tried flexing her wings and possibly flying away (to no avail). As the night gradually consumed the day, Hinata was beginning to lose hope. Yet, still she prayed for Neji.

She tried spinning, jumping, flapping her wings, screaming his name, but no matter what she did, no one would answer her call. She wondered if her father was worried about her, and why he had not taken the time to come search for her.

Eventually she even tried going back in the hospital to try another spot, but someone had locked the door. At around midnight, she sat in the corner shivering. She thought it was foolish of herself not to have stolen a few of the sheets before one of the members of the hospital came up to retrieve them. So, she sat with her entire body tucked into her turtleneck, feeling as lonely and lost as she had on the floor of the cavern.

The darkness and the cold nipped away at her physically and mentally. She wondered if she would die up here, or maybe fade away into dust. Perhaps there was no home for Hinata to go to...maybe she had failed her mission and was exiled from her family without her knowledge.

It tore at her. She had to get home somehow...even if it meant flying there herself. She would just have to bear through the pain of flying with her wing...she could do it...all she had to do was get to Sky Castle, then she could be treated and taken care of and welcomed home. She got to her feet, and walked to the very edge of the rooftop. She looked down at the street below her...quite a drop. Perhaps even further than the fall through the cave. If she didn't make it, it could very well mortally injure her. But, it didn't matter to her. If she didn't make it home, she was worthless here anyway.

Hinata closed her eyes and spread her arms and wings out. She took a deep breath, and lifted a foot out into empty space. Then, she fell forward...

...and was immediately snagged by something from behind, and yanked back into the roof.

Hinata shook her head from the shock, then looked up to see Shino's goggles staring right down at her.

"What do you think you were doing?" he asked with a soft, yet stern tone of voice.

Hinata's eyes swelled with big, fat, watery tears. As they fell down her cheeks in steady, thick streams, she closed her eyes and wailed. Shino knelt down and gently wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest in an attempt to quiet the noise.

"It's alright little Ga-chan, you don't have to stay up here anymore. I'll take you home."

As Shino scooped her up in his arms like he had done so many times before, Hinata's muffled screams of agony continued. She barely even noticed Shino walking her all the way back to his place. He didn't seem to mind, which Hinata would have been glad for, if she wasn't swarmed with overwhelming feelings of abandonment. After all that time, no one came to get her. No one. Not even a sign of another cupid anywhere...not even a stray feather. Why?

Why, why, why? Why would they leave her? Their precious princess Hinata...heir to the Hyuga clan of cupids. Why wouldn't they even look for her?

Before she even knew it, she was back in Shino's apartment, but it looked a little different. It had remained clean from how Hinata had left it, but a few things had been added. For one, his futon looked a lot more inviting...a few pillows had been added, as well as a plain grey comforter. His kitchen was also well stocked with more than just cup noodles, and on the table near the kitchen counter was a vase with a modest little boquet of forget-me-nots.

The sight temporarily relieved Hinata of her pain. She wiped away the moisture from her face, and sniffed a bit.

"What did you do?" she asked between sniffs.

Shino's subtle smile crossed his lips. "Well, after you went though so much trouble cleaning it, it looked kind of empty...so I bought some things to spruce it up a bit."

She reached out a finger towards the vase. Shino sat her down on her feet, then walked over to it.

"These...I got for you. Actually...to remind me of you, in case I never saw you again. On the off-chance that you came back...I thought you would like them."

Hinata lit up like candle. What a strange sort of feeling she had...it was as if she had been surrounded by a cyclone filled with all manners of demons and fiends and all of a sudden she was whisked away to a heavenly meadow with a calm, serene breeze. She stared at Shino with such awe and appreciation that words were having troubling forming on her lips.

"I...I..." she trembled.

"Are you cold? You spent quite some time on that roof. Would you like a blanket?"

Hinata nodded. She wasn't really cold anymore, in fact, she could hardly feel anything physical at all. Her whole body had gone numb numb with the vast contradiction of environments. Shino pulled apart a semi-neatly folded throw blanket that sat at the foot of his futon, then wrapped it around Hinata's shoulders. He then pulled down his hood and tore off his goggles, ran a hand through his hair, then looked right into Hinata's eyes.

"That better?"

There was entire novel of things that Hinata wanted to say to this man as she gazed into his obsidian pupils. She wanted to thank him most of all, for the flowers and the blanket and for coming back for her. She wanted to tell him that she was so lost and hurt, and that his frienship meant the world to her. But of all the meaningful things she could say, all her lips managed to sputter out were...

"Can I have a hug?"

It was a meak and simple request, and it couldn't have been more timid if a mouse had asked it. But it was granted within the moment she asked for it. She felt his arms weave their way around her and press her gently to him. His earthy scent enclosed her, and she buried her face into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Again, the tears started to flow, but these were lighter, and came about due to an overwhelming happiness.

"Thank you, Shino-kun," she whispered into his coat.

"You're most welcome, Ga-chan."

She pulled away from him at that moment and stared at him. His face was calm, his subtle smile set on his lips. She felt his thumb reach up and wipe away at her tears. She clutched his hand with her own and held it to her face. He responded by gently cupping her cheek. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the warmth of his hand. Her body was then disrupted by a brisk shiver, realizing how cold she had actually been the entire time. Shino then wrapped himself around her once more and held her tight to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't come get you sooner. I wasn't sure if you even wanted me to..." he said while resting his chin on her head.

"...or for that matter, if I could handle coming back and seeing that you were gone."

"Why did you come back?" Hinata asked, muffled in his clothing.

"I...I don't really know. I guess, I just wanted to make sure you got home safely. I suppose that plan didn't work, did it?"

Hinata remained silent, but pulled away from him.

"I don't know why they didn't come get me..." she said while looking off to the side. She clutched herself, her shivers coming back to her. Shino rubbed her arms.

"Hey, let's not think about that now, alright? You're safe now. As long as you're with me, I'll take care of you. If you're not too sleepy, perhaps you would you perhaps like a bath to warm you up?"

She blinked. "Bath?"

"Yeah, this complex has a little public bath. It only holds a couple of people at a time, but it's always nice and hot. It's also open twenty-four hours, and since it's well after midnight, it should be empty. Want me to take you down there?"

That didn't sound half-bad, honestly. She hadn't had a good bath in a few days, and spending all day on a roof couldn't have been good for her hygeine. Plus, she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon...not after such a painful fit of heartache. So, she decided to take him up on the offer.

After walking through some secluded little trails around the apartment complex, Shino opened a door to a steamy little room with a pool in the middle of it, lined with fake rocks and bamboo to give it a natural appearance. As Shino had suspected, it was completely empty. He gestured for Hinata to go right in, which she promptly did while clutching a soft white towel to herself. She looked at him before continuing any further.

"Will you be right outside?"

"If you want me to."

"I just don't want to be alone..."

"Would you like me to join you?" he said with a sly grin.

Hinata gave him a stink eye while her cheeks flared. "No, thank you..."

"Hmm...alright. Let me know if you need anything."

And with that, Shino left Hinata to her business. There was a lone bench not to far away from the bathhouse, so Shino took a seat and flopped open one of his research journals and started scribbling away in it. Now that Hinata was out of sight, he took the opportunity to release some of his insects to light up his work for him in the darkness of the early morning.

About fifteen minutes or so went by, when Shino suddenly heard an ear-shattering scream erupt from the bathhouse. Without skipping a beat, he dropped his journal and darted to door before wrenching it open. His black eyes widened in shock.

Hinata sat half-submerged in a pool of dark crimson. In her red-splattered hands gripped fistfuls of blood-stained feathers...and her wings... her wings were in utter shambles. She turned to him slowly, eyes wide with pure terror, tears streaming and stained with splashes of blood.

"My...my feathers...my...my feathers..."

"Holy fuck..." he whispered to himself before rushing to her. He wasn't even sure what to do...he held his hands out over her, trying to find something to grab onto. Hinata reached a shaky arm to her wing and plucked a feather from the blood-stained, horrible stick that jutted from her back.

"My feathers...they're falling out..."

"Ssh...it's okay, calm down...just, hold still..."

Still panicked, Shino desperately searched for some way to resolve the situation. She was saturated in blood, and huge ribbons of the stuff was dripping on what was left of the tattered, ragged little wings. He was terrified that she might die of blood loss. He took a breath and reached under her arms and yanked her out of the pool. He then reached for her folded towel and yanked it over, then pressed it against her wings as gently as he could to sop up the mess. Hinata shrieked with pain as the foreign material made contact with her raw, wounded flesh. The towel stuck to her wings and tugged at her skin, but still became soaked with the blood all the same.

"Damn it...Damn it!" he shouted to himself, trying with great difficultly to gather his thoughts. Then, the answer came to him. She probably wouldn't like it, but it would have to do.

"Hinata...I need you to hold absolutely still. Close your eyes, and don't open them. This will feel very strange."

She held her hands to her eyes, breathing sharply and holding as still as she could. Then, Shino held out his arms and released his insects.

Clouds of little black beetles swarmed around her and encased her completely. She looked like a caterpillar that had come across the great misfortune of walking into a pile of ants. As the insects made contact with her, she gasped and starting breathing quickly. Shino rested a hand on her forehead in an attempt to sooth her.

"Just hold still...they'll clean you up."

Within minutes, the insects had consumed every last drop of blood, slime, and stray feathers from her smooth, naked body. Her wings were still raw, but they had nibbled and chewed and produced enough effluvia to stop the bleeding. She was picked clean like a sun-bleached desert bone.

Shino let the insects back into their nest, then took off his coat to wrap it around Hinata. With all her heavy breathing, she had managed to pass herself out, so he scooped her up as he always did and carried her off.

"What a strange, troublesome thing you are, Hinata."

~End of Chapter 6~


	7. Chapter 7

~Give Me Love~

~Chapter 7~

Hinata awoke in the same place she had the previous morning with a painful aching in her back and little to no memory of the events of the night before. Her skin felt oddly dry, yet refreshed...as if every pore in her skin had been thoroughly vacuumed out. She was neatly bundled under the new comforter she had spotted the day before. She looked over to her side and found Shino snoozing away while leaning up against the wall near the futon. He was fully dressed, and his arms were folded and his hood was pulled over his face. He was not wearing his goggles.

Hinata sat up slowly and reached around to her back to figure out what all the pain was about. Her finger stroked along a gauze-wrapped stick-like object that must have been her wing at some point. Then, the previous night all came back to her.

A powerful feeling swept over her then, which was similar to the feeling you'd get if you'd found out that an old friend of yours had passed away. Strangely enough, she didn't feel like crying. She'd done enough of that for the past two days, and she felt like she just didn't have it in her anymore. Instead, she wrapped her arms around herself and thought about what this could mean. Well, she did know what it meant, actually...but she never thought it would actually happen.

It was the kind of thing your parents tell you when you're little to get you to stop doing something that they don't like. For instance, if you're making a silly face and they tell you that it will get stuck that way if you keep it like that. The same kind of tale was told to Hinata when she was a young cupid.

"Always do what you're told, or your wings will fall off."

"Hinata, eat your dinner or you'll grow weak and your wings will fall off."

"Don't ever prick yourself with one of your arrows, or your wings will fall off."

So many reasons, it made her wonder which rule she broke to cause this to happen. She was a bit on the clumsy side perhaps, but she never pricked herself with her arrows. She _always_ did as she was told, including eating vegetables that she didn't really care for. Hinata was a good girl...so why did she deserve this?

"You're awake."

Hinata looked at Shino, who was now staring at her with his ominous eyes. Hinata couldn't help but jump a bit.

"Shino-kun! You gave me a start."

"Sorry. Are you feeling alright?"

"I guess so."

They were silent for a moment.

"You know, I don't scare very easy, but when I saw you in that bath, I never though I'd be so terrified."

Hinata stared at her hands. "I'm really sorry..."

Suddenly, she felt herself being embraced.

"Don't be. I'm just glad you're alright," she heard him whisper.

Hinata remained silent, finding a certain peace from the whole thing in the embrace that was her shell of safety. It was hard to even think. The warmth was all she could focus on...in fact, it was the only thing she wanted to focus on. But of course, it pulled away before she could object.

Shino gazed into her eyes with a calm concern. Hinata bit her lip.

"So," Hinata began, "what should we do now?"

It was a simple question with a very complicated answer. She couldn't very well return home now that her wings were nothing more than twigs, but what else was there other than being a cupid?

"Well, I suppose we should find out what's happening to you, and perhaps find someway to reverse it. In the mean time, you're welcome to stay here. We'll just take it a day at a time, alright?"

Hinata gave him a sad-half smile, then looked down. "Alright."

"Up for a little reading? Maybe the Konoha library has some information on your species. We can also get something to eat on the way. Surely you could use a pick-me-up after your fiasco last night."

She looked up at him and was greeted with a tilted head and a friendly expression.

"Shino..." she quietly murmured.

"Mmm?"

"I...I know I've said it before...but...but thank you. Thank you so much."

His smirk spread a half-inch wider before reaching out and ruffling her hair.

"You're welcome. Now come on, let's figure out our next step."

~o~

Shino's wardrobe was fairly limited, but not as limited as her own. Thus, she seldom put up a fight when Shino presented her one of his long coats and a thick pair of boots to wear on their way to the library. The coat was said to hide her stubby little wings better, but Hinata found the cover to be rather superfluous considering that she was invisible to all but him. However, the next events would prove the coat to be more useful than expected.

Shino walked upright with a slow, steady pace, with Hinata clinging to his arm. Shino seemed to be getting more awkward glances than usual, and was even tossed the occasional long, confused stare. This encouraged Hinata to cling to him even more. Although she was certain that she had no reason to fear people seeing her beside him...she wasn't..._that _certain about it. In fact, it seemed like most of the stares were focusing on her rather than her companion. She tried to wave it off as imagining things, but then...

"SHINO ABURAME! AM I SEEING WHAT I THINK I'M SEEING?!"

Hinata looked to the rooftops where the shout had echoed from, and down bounded an enormous white beast that landed directly in front of them with a thump. From the beast's back slid a scruffy, dog-eyed punk with tribal stripes on his cheeks and a jacket that screamed 'Look at me, I'm such a badass.'

Hinata ducked behind Shino, who stood unwavering as always. When the wiley man approached him, he clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"I never thought I'd see the day..." the man exclaimed with a smarmy grin on his face.

"What are you talking about, Kiba?" Shino calmly, yet sternly replied. Hinata remained somewhat hidden behind Shino, staring meekly at the instrusive visitor.

"That Shino Aburame would go marching through town with a dame on his arm, that's what!"

Hinata's eyes widened when she realized that the man was now looking directly at her. He could see her, she knew...and it terrified her.

"And what a cutey she is, too! Hey, no need to be shy, I'm Kiba! I'm Shino's teammate!"

Kiba extended a friendly hand to her, but Hinata dared not take it. She crushed Shino's cloak in her frightened palms, and continued to hide like a terrified toddler behind their parent.

"Leave her alone, Kiba. She's not used to people she hasn't met." Shino stated, stepping back to create some space between himself and the dog rider.

Kiba retracted his hand and folded his arms. "Hmph, fine. Where'd she come from, anyway? I've never seen her before."

"I found her on my last solo mission. She was an escapee from a village northwest from here that had been pillaged and burned. She had no where to go, so I'm housing her until we find a place for her." Shino explained, cool as a cucumber.

"Huh...that's pretty chivalrous of you Shino. Does the Hokage know about her?"

"Of course," he replied, without skipping a beat.

"Well alright, then. So where are you two lovebirds headed?"

Shino grunted. "We're not a couple."

"Bullshit. She's wearing your clothes and you expect me to believe you two aren't getting it on?"

Hinata was just about ready to die of embarressment, when suddenly she was overcome with a sense of bravery. Shino was obviously protecting her, so why couldn't she do the same for him?

"My...my clothes were destroyed...all my p-possessions...A...Aburame-san was kind enough to l-lend me some c-clothes."

"She speaks!" Kiba exclaimed, while folding his arms.

"We...we aren't...sleeping together..." Hinata trailed off, cheeks flaring.

Kiba burst into a tremendous laughter, then gave Hinata a rough tossle of her hair. It was friendly, but greatly unwelcoming. She felt Shino's arm wrap around her and carry her forward, on past Kiba.

"Aw c'mooonnn," she heard Kiba call, "I was just messing around!"

But that was the last she heard of him.

~o~

Hinata barely had time to ponder what it meant that she was starting to be seen by other mortals before a familiar pair of girls approached her with enthusiam.

"Shino-kun! Who is your pretty friend?" Ino asked with bright-eyed eagerness.

"I've never seen her before...is she a civilian? Why is she wearing those unflattering clothes?" Sakura asked with insufferable judgement.

"I'm...from...a village...b-burned down...um..." Hinata began to stutter in a panic.

"She's under my care, yes the Hokage has approved of her, no she doesn't want to be bothered. We have some business to attend to." Shino said sharply, his face adorned with his usual scowl.

"Not in that get-up," Ino replied with crossed arms.

"Seriously Shino, you don't expect such a pretty thing to go out in public in your creeper outfit, do you? I hope your 'business' means buying her something to wear." Sakura added.

"Unh-uh," Ino said while grabbing Hinata by the arm, "I don't trust Shino's taste in clothing. It's only a matter of time before she's wasted under layers of Aburame monstrosity. Let's take her shopping ourselves, Sakura!"

Shino did his best to keep Hinata in his grip, but Sakura and Ino were relentless. Before he even had time to react, Hinata was hooked in the elbows of the two vibrant woman and was being hauled off to the shopping district. Shino's shouts of protest became a dull noise in a matter of moments.

Once they were out of earshot, Ino and Sakura turned to the startled Hinata.

"So what's your name, chicky?" Ino asked.

"Um...Hi...Hinata."

"Oh, what a pretty name!" Sakura chirped.

"Hinata, huh? Well my name's Ino, and this is Sakura. Don't let her giant forehead scare you off...as far as I'm aware, it hasn't eaten anyone yet."

Sakura gave Ino a sharp punch to the shoulder. "That's because you're too ugly to eat!"

Hinata stood with her arms wrapped around herself, not sure what to do. They seemed friendly enough, but she was in dangerous territory. Shino was nowhere to be found, and she wasn't very good at lying about herself. Eventually the girls stopped bickering, and turned to her once again.

"So Hinata-chan, have you ever been to the Konoha shopping district before? It's not as exciting as other places, but they've got some nice selections. Better then that ugly trenchcoat you've got on." Sakura asked while pointing a judgemental finger at Hinata.

Hinata tapped her fingertips together and looked to the side. "N..no...I haven't."

"We should try Sunny Days. They usually have some one-peices that are simple and inexpensive." Ino suggested.

"Oh, that's a great idea! Then maybe we can go to Ra-Ra's and get her some panties. Surely she needs some!"

"Then we can drop by the BBQ joint for lunch!"

"Alright, looks like we got a plan! Let's go, Hinata-chan!"

And with that, Hinata was unwillingly dragged off into the heart of Konoha's most populated area.

~End of Chapter 7~


	8. Chapter 8

~Give Me Love~

~Chapter 8~

Hinata's found herself alone in a dressing room with a wad of carefully-picked dresses hanging up next to her. It was the first time in forty-five excruciating minutes that she had a chance to take a breath and re-evaluate her position. As she stared at her odd, cloaked figure, the panic started to set in. If she tried on any of these clothes, the girls would surely see her horrible wings (or what was left of them), and then the real questions would start. Maybe she could pass them off as a birth defect, or maybe she could just run as fast as her legs could carry her back to Shino's and swear never to leave ever again.

"Did you try anything on?" asked a muffled Sakura from the other side of the door.

"Um...no...I'm...having some trouble..." Hinata squeaked.

"Oh, do you need me to help you?"

"N-n-no, I'm okay...just need a minute..."

Crap. So much for running, not with a guard outside her room. She took a long, shaky breath, and took another look at herself in the long mirror. Then, she slowly began unbuttoning and unzipping her coat. With a ruffled thump, the cloak fell to the ground all around her, revealing a dingy pair of panties and bra that were in desperate need of washing. Maybe going shopping with these two wasn't such a bad idea after all...but what about her wings? They were clearly there. Two little reddened sticks jutting out from her back,wrapped gently in gauze that was already starting to come apart. She reached up and stroked the edge of her left wing as delicately as possible, and a strong, burning sensation arose under her fingertips.

Her eyes began to swell, and she quickly wiped away at them with the heel of her palms. She couldn't cry now...she had no time. She heard a wrapping of knuckles on her door.

"You okay in there?" asked Sakura.

"I'm fine..."

"You sure? It shouldn't take that long to put on a dress."

"R-Really...I'm f-fine..."

"Aww c'mon, you don't have to be embarrassed about it...let me help."

The doorknob turned. Hinata realized that she didn't lock it.

Her eyes widened.

The door opened.

Sakura looked up at her, and gasped with horror.

"Oh my GODS!" She shrieked while clasping a hand over her mouth.

Hinata froze, cheeks flaring. Her wings...she saw her wings...

Sakura then reached out to her and embraced her tightly.

"Your underwear...you poor darling...how long have you had to wear those horrible things?!"

Hinata blinked. Suddenly it occurred to her that Sakura's arms were right around where her wings were. It was if her wings were ethereal, and Sakura had passed right through them. She peered over her shoulder, and the little gauze-wrapped sticks were still there.

_She can't see them...she can see me, but she can't see my wings..._

Sakura pulled away and held Hinata by her shoulders. "You should have told us! We would have gone to the lingerie store first! It should be a crime to make a woman wear the same panties for that long."

Hinata sighed in relief. Suddenly, everything seemed much easier.

"Oh...please don't blame Shino-kun. He has been so kind to me. He rescued me, when my village was burning. I lost my whole family, and my possessions as well. He's been letting me borrow his clothes, so I owe him everything."

Sakura gave her a sad smile and hugged her tightly once again.

"You poor, sweet thing. Well me and Ino will take care of you now. In Konoha, everyone is family, so if the Hokage approves of you, you're always welcome here!"

Hinata felt warm at that moment with Sakura wrapped around her like that. Maybe living as a mortal wasn't all that bad after all. Of course...the Hokage didn't_ actually_ approve of Hinata being there, but she and her family had watched over the village for generations without her knowledge, so what was the big deal, anyway?

"Thank you, Sakura-san. I think I can handle myself now, really." Hinata said with a soft smile. Sakura pulled away once again, and returned the same smile.

"Alright, if you insist. But promise you'll ask for my help if you need it, okay?"

"Promise!" Hinata replied cheerfully.

As Sakura closed the door, Hinata turned to the mirror again, and took a deep breath. This was nice...having friends. Friends that couldn't see her secrets, for that matter. Friends who would buy her clothes and food, and would treat her with adoration. Her wings burned, but she hardly noticed. Hinata's heart was too warm to worry about anything.

With that, Hinata plucked a dress from the hanger and tried it on.

~o~

A few hours went by, and Hinata now had a wardrobe of three dresses (With thin straps and a low back, as to provide an opening for her wings), a week's worth of underwear, two bras, two blouses, and some snug-fitting jeans, as well as a comfortable pair of sandals. There was a point in time where Hinata was worried about Sakura and Ino forking over so much cash just for her, but they reassured her that the thrill of shopping for a new friend was what they lived for.

Late in the afternoon, the trio sat around a table munching on BBQ. Hinata kept quiet most of the time, but was perfectly content listening to Sakura and Ino bicker back and forth.

"Hey chubby-chaser, are you and your new boyfriend gonna eat here at the end of the week?" Sakura asked Ino with her taunting expression.

"I dunno teacher's pet, depends on where you and Kakashi-sensei are eating. Maybe we can go on a double-date." Ino replied with a devious grin.

"It'll have to be a triple date, with Chouji tagging along." Sakura sneered.

Hinata giggled quietly to herself, knowing full well that she was responsible for their squabble. Besides, the new insulting nicknames for each other were a nice change of pace from 'pig' and 'billboard-brow'. Then, the two turned to her.

"What about you, Hinata-chan? Who are you going to the Festival of Love with?"

Hinata froze. "I...I don't know..."

She had completely forgotten about the festival. It was only two days away, and her bow was missing, her uniform was trashed, and her wings had rotted away. She was one couple away from her goal, and she hadn't seen her family in days. Was being a cupid really worth pursuing at this point?

"Isn't she taking Shino?"

"Oh yeah, he's like the only single guy left in this town. Plus, I heard that under all those layers he's actually quite a hotty..."

She had a place to stay, clothes to wear, and friends to hang out with. Isn't that all you needed to be happy? But...how do you be a mortal? Wouldn't she need to make money? Did she need skills? She was good with a bow...

"Shino doesn't seem like the kinda guy to be in a relationship though..."

"Yeah, he's a real Sasuke-type."

She missed her father and her mother. She missed her bed, and she missed Neji. She missed the beautiful shimmering walls of Sky Castle, and she missed being able to fly. She missed her bow, and she missed training. She missed Cloud Drop Pudding, her favorite dessert. Could she really live in Shino's tiny apartment forever?

"Hey Hinata-chan, why are you crying?"

Hinata looked up. Sakura and Ino were looking at her with concern. She hadn't even noticed how hot and wet her cheeks had become.

"You okay, honey?" Ino asked quietly, resting a hand on Hinata's back.

"I just...I miss my home." Hinata whimpered.

"Awww...I'm sure you do. You know, we shinobi come across quite a lot of villagers in your situation. We've seen people lose their families, we've even lost many friends of our own."

"It's tragic, but everyone always comes out a little bit stronger."

"Yeah, it just takes a little time, Hinata-chan. You won't be able to see your family again, but you can always find a place where you belong."

Hinata couldn't tell Sakura and Ino apart. In fact, most of their words of comfort was just mumbling. Hinata pressed her face into her hands, and felt Ino wrap her arms around her.

"You know what we could use? Some hot sake."

"Yeah, that's a great idea! Hey, waiter! Waiter!"

Hinata continued to sob meekly into her hands, while Ino gave her back a brisk rub.

"It's okay, sweety. You just need some alcohol. That'll cheer you right up!"

A few moments later, and a little tray was set out on the table with three tiny cups and a neat little bottle full of potent liquid. Ino reached out to the ingredients and poured a cup full for Hinata, then set it in front of her.

"There you go, try some of that." Ino said encouragingly with an arm still wrapped around Hinata.

Hinata reached out tenderly to the cup with both hands, then brought it to her lips. She sneered at the intense odor.

"Go on, it won't kill you." Sakura quipped while pouring her own fill.

Hinata took a little sip, and immediately set the cup back down and reached for her green tea to take a good gulp and get the horrid taste from her mouth. Ino and Sakura burst into laughter.

"Yeah, it's got a kick to it. That's why you have to drink it all at once, not sip it." With that, Sakura downed her entire cup, then slammed it down while sharply exhaling. Ino quickly followed up by doing the same.

"Ahhh...that's the good stuff."

"Go on Hinata, try again. This time drink the whole thing. Pinch your nose if you have to."

Hinata did just that. With great effort, she swallowed the entire cup, then set it down and immediately went for her tea once again.

"I feel sick..." Hinata muttered.

"Just give it a minute. You'll feel a lot better." Sakura reassured her.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, Hnata started to feel very relaxed and light-headed. It was similar to the warm feeling she got when Sakura had hugged her for the first time but it was seeping through her whole body, and felt as if it was artificially placed there. Now a little less tense, she dropped her shoulders and settled into her seat.

"Ha ha, I think she's all good now." Ino giggled.

"Want another cup?" Sakura asked while already filling up Hinata's cup.

"Oh...o-okay." Hinata replied softly, not even sure if that's what she really meant to say.

After a few drinks, Hinata felt very, very strange, and Ino and Sakura didn't seem far off. They had had twice as much as Hinata had, and even ordered a couple more bottles of the stuff. For the most part, they remained the same, except for their flushed cheeks, their increased hostility toward each other, and their relentless giggling.

"Hiiiiiinaaaaaaataaaaaaa-chaaaaaannnnnnn..."Sakura slurred while leaning her whole body onto the table.

"Huh?" Hinata asked slowly, her head wavering back and forth.

"What's Shino's..._hick_...apartment like? I don't think anyone's ever been inside of it."

Hinata closed her eyes and rested her head against the back of the bench.

"Cramped...full of bugs...and notebooks..."

"Where do you sleep?" Ino asked while resting her head on Hinata's shoulder.

"On his...ugh...on his futon."

"Ew, with him next to you?" Sakura asked, her head leaning resting in her palm.

"No...he...uh...he doesn't sleep. He just watches over me."

"That's fucking creepy." Ino said, attempting to sit up, but failing.

They were silent for a moment, then Sakura asked. "Have you seen him naked?"

"Sakura, why the fuck would she have seen him naked?"

"I dunno, some people are naked when they're at home by themselves."

"Are you naked when you're at home by yourself?"

"Sometimes..."

"You're definitely naked when Kakashi-sensei is over."

Sakura snorted. "Well you're definitely naked when you're being suffocated in Chouji's rolls..."

"I haven't seen him naked..." Hinata murmured before the two could start their bitching, "but I've seen his eyes."

"OOoooooo..." Sakura and Ino replied almost in unison, "What do they look like?"

"Black. Solid...black...and..." Hinata tilted her face away, feeling like she was going to pass out.

"And?" Ino and Sakura asked.

"...beautiful..." Hinata whispered, giving up on her consciousness.

~o~

The next thing she knew, Hinata was waking up in a bed she had never been in before. The room was quaint and roomy, and decorated like a woman who was somewhere between being a child and being a teenager. She sat up and stretched, then climbed out of bed and looked at herself in the long mirror in the corner of the room. She was still wearing the same simple lilac dress that her friends had purchased her earlier that day, but it was a bit on the wrinkled side and her hair was all tangled. Suddenly, the door on the opposing corner opened up, and Sakura peeked her head in.

"Hinata-chan? Are you awake?"

Hinata nodded while attempting to flatten her hair out.

"Where am I?" she asked with a groggy tone in her voice.

"Oh, you passed out smooth at the restaurant, so I brought you back to my place to rest. This is my old room, but it's now the guest room. Do you need a brush?"

"Um...yes, please."

"There's an extra one in the bathroom. Just come straight down this hall, and turn left at the end of it. Shino's here to get you, so I figured you'd want to look nice for him."

"Sh...Shino-kun is here?" Hinata asked, her heart now beginning to race.

"Yeah, I told him that you're perfectly welcome to stay here 'cause I have the extra room and all, but he insists that you're 'under his protection' or whatever. I told him I'd let you decide where you wanna go, so why don't you take some time to freshen up, then talk to him about it? He's out in the living room when you're ready."

With that, Sakura closed the door. Hinata could hear her footsteps grow quieter, so she took a moment to gather her thoughts. She looked around the room and considered Sakura's offer. It was quite a nice little room...small, but not nearly as suffocating as Shino's studio. Plus, she'd have her privacy, and the bed was _exceedingly_ comfy.

She continued to ponder her situation as she followed Sakura's instructions to the bathroom. It was clean and organized, and smelled of the little basket of potpourri on the counter. A brush had been sat out on the counter, so Hinata took to straightening out her tangled mop of hair. She'd even have this clean bathroom nearby, and she certainly appreciated the girly atmosphere as opposed to Shino's musty little bachelor pad. It was probably the closest thing to Sky Castle she had encountered since this whole fiasco began. She knew in her heart that Sakura would be more than happy to take care of her, so staying with her seemed like the obvious choice...

...Until she walked into the living room and found Shino sitting on the couch by himself. His hood was down, revealing his mass of messy, spiked hair. As soon as Hinata entered his sight, his face was instantly graced with a warm, welcoming smile.

"That might be the first time I have ever seen a smile on your face, Shino Aburame." Sakura remarked.

Hinata hadn't even noticed Sakura sitting across from Shino, but she could hardly pay that much attention to her. Something about Shino's smile just broke Hinata in half, and she knew right then and there that she couldn't leave him. She knew that if the choice was between Sakura's comfy bed and Shino in that dark, dusty cave, she would pick Shino without so much as a blink.

She slowly paced over to him, and reached out her hand to him, which Shino promptly grasped in his own. Hinata turned to Sakura.

"Sakura-san, thank you so much for today. You and Ino-san have made me feel so welcome here...so thank you. For the clothes...for the food...everything...but..."

"But...?" Sakura asked, as if she hadn't heard anything but that word.

Hinata turned to Shino. "But, I belong with Shino. He rescued me, and...he...he makes me feel safe, so...I want to stay with him."

Sakura shrugged and smiled at her. "Alright, if that's what you really want, Hinata. But if his bugs are ever driving you crazy, you're always welcome to stay here for the night."

Hinata giggled. "Okay, thank you Sakura-san."

~o~

It was nearing midnight when Shino and Hinata arrived at his apartment. As the familiar buzz of his overhead light flickered on, Hinata sat her shopping bags down, and took her place on the futon. Shino looked at her from the entrance and smiled.

"I suppose it wasn't such a bad idea to leave you in the care of those two."

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked quietly.

"You look far more beautiful in that dress than in my trench coat."

Hinata flared red and hunched over, pressing her fingers together. "Th...thank you."

"I have a gift for you, Ga-chan."

Hinata looked up and watched as Shino wandered over to a lone insect box that was sitting on the kitchen counter. When he brought it over to her, Hinata looked inside to find a stunningly beautiful, vibrantly colored creature.

"What is it?" Hinata asked gingerly.

"It's called a Luna moth. They're very rare, and only come out at night. I stumbled across it while taking a walk, and it reminded me of you."

"It's beautiful..." Hinata whispered while gazing upon the lovely insect.

"I'm happy you like it."

"But...isn't it sad all locked up in that box? It's so big, it looks like it needs room to fly."

"You want to let it go? But its such a rare specimen."

"All the more reason to let it go and let it be happy."

Hinata looked into Shino's goggles. Even without his eyes, he looked disappointed. In fact, he seemed a lot more disappointed than one would be if they simply had to let a bug they caught go. Hinata set the bug box in her lap and tilted her head.

"What's wrong, Shino-kun?"

Shino reached a hand out and held his gloved palm against her cheek.

"Do you want me to let you go...?" he whispered, barely audible.

"What? What do you mean?" Hinata asked, feeling a twinge of panic in her heart. Shino backed off and let go of her face.

"Nevermind. You can let the moth go if you really want to."

Hinata looked at the box in her lap, then set it up on the windowsill above the bed.

"Maybe it can spend a couple nights here just for now...where its safe," she said softly.

She looked back to Shino, who was looking at her with the same befuddled expression he had given her after she had cleaned his room. A moment passed by...

...and then his lips were pressed deeply into hers. She let out a muffled squeak of shock as he wove his arms around her back and her head, firmly holding her to him. He was overwhelmingly warm. It was such an intense feeling...even more than what the sake had done to her. After what seemed like an eternity passed, her broke away from her to look into her eyes. Hinata took the opportunity to pull his goggles off, and stare deep into his abysmal, infinite eyes. She could feel her weight leaning back towards the bed as Shino lowered her down onto the futon, before placing his lips back on hers.

Several thoughts were swarming through Hinata's head like an angry hive of wasps. The biggest and loudest thought was how she hadn't expected this, or how this could have occurred in the first place. As his lips moved to her chin and back toward her ear, she wondered if, along with her wings, her cupid powers were fading. Why couldn't she have seen that he had developed such strong feelings for her? Had he been struck with her arrow after all?

She felt his fingers trail down her shoulders and slip off the straps of her dress. Had some other cupid gotten to him first? Shino was the most stubbornly anti-romance individual she had ever encountered. Did he have some kind of special power?

She watched him sit up and remove his coat, revealing the tight, sleeveless fabric that had once enticed her that night in the woods. She reached her fingertips toward his stomach, and traced the muscular curves of his abdomen. Was he some kind of demon? Why was she feeling this way towards him?

His lips touched her neck. Her arms climbed to his back, her fingertips tracing each tendon. No, he was human...but what a human. How had this connection between them developed so fast? Was he under a spell?

Her dress was pulled over her arms, her new bra along with it. Wait, don't you want to see the new bra that Sakura-san and Ino-san picked out for me? His lips caressed her exposed skin, and she quickly forgot about the shopping trip all together.

He sucked, he nibbled, he pulled at her. She was quickly losing grasp on her thoughts. No...she had to figure this out. He...how...umf...how could a human fall in love with a cupid? How...oh...how could...a cupid...fall in love...unnng...with a human?

Her panties were slipped down her legs. The kisses trailed down her stomach. They turned into gentle bites when they reached the inside of her thighs.

"How do you know...oh...how to...do all this?" she gasped between panting. Shino looked at her with a single obsidian eye.

"I hunger for you...Hinata Hyuga. I can't help it."

Her name...Hyuga...the cupid...the defender and creator of love...the winged guardian of Konoha. No...he was turning her into something else entirely. He was ripping her apart and putting her back together, his way. She felt a pressure between her legs, and she was overwhelmed. Her head dissolved into the pillows underneath her. Thoughts were hanging in front of her like glass wind chimes, tinkling and glittering, just out of reach. Who was she?

_Hinata..._

She squirmed as he tasted her. What was happening? Why doesn't she just fly away? Can she do this? Is this allowed?

_Was anyone coming to get her?_

A sensation was building...tightening...just a little more...something's going to happen...something marvelous...please...don't...stop...

His hands gripped into her hips. Her hands wove and yanked through his messy hair. So silky...don't stop...

What about her wings? Stop...don't stop...they'll fall off if you...no, don't stop...you're almost there.

A lightening bolt shot through her. She twitched and heaved, and cried out. Shino sat up, towering over her, hands placed gently on her knees. He watched over her as she violently thrashed about herself, like she was some kind of experiment of his. It angered her, it made her want to rip him apart, but oh...the feeling.

After a moment, she finally relaxed...and felt calmer than any state she remembered being in. She looked at Shino, with beads of sweat dotting her brow.

"What...what just happened to me?"

Shino wiped his arm across his mouth. "Did you like it?"

Hinata closed her eyes and took a breath. "It was...new."

He chuckled, then climbed over her until his face was hovering over hers.

"Well, I'm not done with you yet," he whispered, placing his moistened lips on hers once again. The taste was different...bittersweet...

_Oh...it was her...how...interesting._

She heard the sound of unbuckling. She guessed she was going to get to see him naked after all? How odd...how peculiar...what a strange feeling.

The pressure returned. It was different this time...warmer...more full.

His face was in the nook of her neck. His weight was pressing her against the futon. The pressure was building...then it broke through. In one fell swoop, it was within her. Filling her...taking her over. His breath was deep. She wasn't sure about her own...she was too busy being in outer space.

As his rhythm began, she melted into him. Her thoughts were nothing but abstracts...nothing but burning memories...vague. Like wisps of smoke. She felt smooth and thick, like blood flowing. Oh how it burned...it really...really...burned...

No...something was wrong. It was hurting. She tried to say it was hurting, but she was too dizzy...too dizzy...too...weak...

No...she couldn't...it was burning...burning so bad...so bad! SO BADLY!

"STOP! IT HURTS!" She shrieked with all her might. Shino instantly lept off of her and looked over her with concern.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...oh no..Hinata...no...your wings!"

Hinata gasped and looked over her shoulder. The little red sprigs that were once her wings were now rotting and crumbling away like a burning stick of incense.

"No..." she whimpered, reaching for her wings.

Within seconds, the wings completely crumbled away into dust. There was no blood, no more pain...they were simply...gone. Great, gelatinous tears swelled in the corners of her eyes.

Before she screamed, Shino wrapped her in a blanket, and squeezed her tight. Her wails were muffled in his warmth.

"I'm so sorry, Hinata...I'm so sorry..."

Hinata looked up over his shoulder, sobbing away. She looked at the beautiful Luna moth, with its wonderful wings. How much they had in common...the moth could still fly,but was trapped in a box. Hinata still had her freedom, but had lost her wings. But not just her wings...everything. Her home, her purpose, her family...her father, her mother...Neji.

In that moment, she could practically see Neji's face, smiling at her...welcoming her home. No...it wasn't a welcoming smile. It was a sinister smile...

.

.

.

Wait...she wasn't just imagining things...that was really Neji!

~End of Chapter 8~

_Author's Note: As it turns out, my e-mail was sorting all my notifications into spam, so I had no idea you lovelies were still reading this thing. I apologize for the delay, and will ensure that this fic gets finished. Thank you for reading!_


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